324 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



where he has presented many general considerations 

 which admit of being applied to almost all the aberrant 

 groups which can be referred to any definite type. (Con- 

 sult for farther details the work of M. Isidore Geoffroy 

 already referred to, and T^loge Historique de Geoff roy 

 Saint- Hilaire, by M. Flourens.) 



NOTE IX. 



Georges Cuvier*, who was born at Montbeliard 

 in 1769, and who died at Paris in 1832, has left a name 

 of which not only his country but all humanity may well 

 be proud. It would employ more space than I can 

 afford to give to this subject in the present volumes, were 

 I to enumerate all his works, and consider not only their 

 importance, and the influence which they have exerted, 

 but also those traces of weakness and imperfection 

 which they exhibit in common with all human labours. 

 I must, therefore, limit myself, as in the case of Geoffroy 

 Saint-Hilaire, to a short and almost exclusively biographi- 

 cal notice, postponing to some future period the scientific 

 history of these two celebrated men. 



From his childhood Cuvier gave evidences of his 

 future greatness. At four years of age he was able 

 to read, and at the age of six he gave an explanation of 

 Hero's fountain, and of an enchanted poniard used in 

 the tricks of a juggler. At thirteen years of age, he 

 had read and re-read Buffon, and even copied all the 

 plates, and he organised amongst the children of his own 

 age a natural history society, of which he was himself 

 the president. At the age of fourteen he had terminated 



* The following details have been principally taken from the 

 Notice Historique of the Life and Works of Cuvier, published by 

 M. Duvernoy his compatriot, pupil, friend, and successor ; for 

 M. Duvernoy succeeded Cuvier in the two most important chairs of 

 the natural sciences in France. 



